Page 126 of The Holiday Hate-Off
I nearly swear, but catch myself. “That’s a lot of activities. Has anyone ever considered relaxing over the holidays?”
“Oh no,” she says after handing the cups over. “We have the rest of the year to relax.” She snaps her fingers just as I’m taking a sip of my drink. “Make sure you ask her about her vagina. Women love it when men take an interest in their hobbies.”
I choke on the cappuccino.
“You’ve killed the boy,” the old-timer remarks from his table.
“He’s perfectly fine, Wayne,” she grouses. “Maybe you can even come to our next Crochet Club meeting, Enzo. We don’t only crochet vaginas.”
“Yeah, no thanks,” I say, relieved her advice was about yarn. Then I lift the cups. “Thank you for these, and for the advice. Can I pay you?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Not a great way to run a business, Eileen,” Wayne says.
The two of them start bickering as I head for the door, and I’m surprised to find myself smiling.
There’s something about them that reminds me of Lucy and me.
But I pause on the threshold and turn back. Eileen and Wayne are in between verbal jabs, giving me an opening to asksomething that’s been on my mind lately. “Eileen, are you Lady Lovewatch?”
She laughs. “Why, of course not.”
“You think she’d admit it if she were?” Wayne asks with a grunt.
“Well, no, I suppose I wouldn’t,” Eileen says, frowning, “but it isn’t me, all the same. I’m no more her than I’m the Hideaway Elf.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if she were both, but I just nod and leave the Sip.
I head next door, where Audrey gives me a whole box of whoopie pies.
A sense of purpose pounds in my chest. I’m going to show Lucy I mean business. But as I’m passing the stairway leading down to Hidden Italy, I hear my brother calling my name.
It’s Giovanni, standing in front of the door. “You got breakfast, and you’re holding out on me?”
Giovanni and I have discussed the developments with Lucy—loosely, because there’s no way I’d speak disrespectfully about her—and his advice has stayed consistent. Stop being a putz and show her you’re interested.
I also told him more about the situation involving my job. Because he was right—he deserved for me to stop treating him like I was his problem solver and just be his brother.
“I’ll be back,” I say, feeling a powerful need to get to Lucy, as if a cord is tugging me back to the apartment building.
“Somebody called for you,” he says, giving me a searching look. “Said they couldn’t get through to your cell phone.”
“Shocking,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll call them when I get back.”
“They said it was urgent. Something about business, and it was a New York number, Enzo.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. New York.Business. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe I left a framed photo of myfamily in my office, and they’re offering to give it back before they throw it in the bin. But I’m starting to trust my instincts again, and my instincts are telling me this call is significant in some way.
Still, I say, “Can’t be too urgent if it’s a call from New York. I’ve got more important things to do.”
“Yeah, you do,” he says with a cheesy smile. “Damn straight.”
CHAPTER 28
LUCY
Iturn Lobster Stalker’s letter over in my hands. This one’s in a sealed envelope, and I trace the seam with my fingers.
